Adaptive Macroblock Concealment Direction for Video Error Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing error concealment techniques in video streams often propagate errors and compromise image quality, especially when dealing with groups of contiguous macroblocks, as they fail to effectively predict and restore visually important central regions and diagonal contours.
Innovation Solution
Concealment of macroblocks with missing or corrupted data progresses in the direction of the larger side of the array, whether by rows or columns, depending on the dimensions, allowing for improved prediction of vertical, horizontal, or diagonal contours.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If concealment progresses by columns from outer edges to center, then error propagation is reduced, but ability to propagate meaningful information from left to right is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the concealment direction adaptive rather than fixed. The system dynamically determines whether to progress by rows or columns based on the aspect ratio of the lost macroblock array, allowing the concealment process to adapt its direction to preserve both error control and information propagation effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of concealment direction (row vs. column progression) based on the geometric parameters of the lost array. By comparing width and height dimensions, the system selects the optimal progression direction that balances error propagation control with information preservation, particularly for diagonal contours.
2Loss of information
If concealment progresses by rows, then horizontal information propagation is improved, but vertical error propagation control is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between row-based and column-based progression modes depending on the lost array's aspect ratio. When width exceeds height, row progression is selected to optimize horizontal information propagation; when height exceeds width, column progression is selected to optimize vertical error control.
Solution Approach 2:
The concealment progression parameter (direction) is changed based on the geometric parameters of the error region. This parameter adaptation ensures that the concealment process aligns with the dominant dimension of the lost array, optimizing both information propagation and error control for the specific error pattern.
3Device complexity
If conventional concealment is used for contiguous macroblocks, then processing is simpler, but error propagation increases and image quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a simple parameter check (comparing array width and height) to determine concealment direction. This minimal additional complexity enables the system to adapt to different error patterns and achieve superior image quality by preventing error propagation in the dominant dimension of the lost array.
Data Source
AI summary
Concealment of macroblocks in a rectangular array advantageously occurs by concealing successive rows of macroblocks by progressing in the direction of the larger side of the array. By performing concealment in this manner, information from the concealment of a preceding row or column propagates in a way that facilitates the prediction of contours either in the vertical, the horizontal or the diagonal direction horizontal/diagonal direction, thereby improving the quality of concealment.